Ventfort Hall is pleased to present three collections of hats this season. Gilded Age fashion was extravagant, opulent and over-the-top, and hats were a popular and essential accessory. The exhibit brings a glimpse of that past to visitors and also more modern examples showcasing the popularity of hats over recent decades. The exhibit is included in the regular admission to the museum.

Generously on loan from the Berkshire Historical Society at Arrowhead are Gilded Age hats that are representative of various styles from the period, ranging from small dainty bonnets to wide brimmed, flamboyant, Gibson Girl hats. These hats highlight delicate details of handmade velvet and silk flowers, intricate beadwork and large flowing plumes.

Designer Carl Sprague, a long time supporter of Ventfort Hall and son of one of the Ventfort Hall Association founding members, Tjasa Sprague, has provided samples from his collection that include fun vintage pieces as well as his own unique creations embellished with feathers, silk flowers and monarch butterflies.

Geoffrey Brown, Ventfort Hall board member and son of one of the Ventfort Hall Association founding members, Marcia Brown, donated his mother’s collection of hats to the exhibit. Her treasures include vintage items from the fifties, sixties and seventies; fanciful contemporary pieces; and hats heavily adorned with feathers and flowers created especially for the Lenox Tub Parade. Also included are the many hat boxes she collected to carefully store her beloved pieces.